


Anger management

by bestaceinspace



Series: A relationship guide for robots and grumpy humans [2]
Category: Almost Human
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 17:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1313029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestaceinspace/pseuds/bestaceinspace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is supposed to be just an investigation like any other, but it turned out to be way more serious than that, much more personal. John should have predicted it, anyway, since he knew how sometimes people didn’t react so positively towards the fact that synthetics worked for the force. Even it not being something that happened yesterday, it was still hard for some humans to accept and get used to it. Close minded people, John thought, feeling a bit ashamed, since he had been like that until he met Dorian and everything took an unexpected turn. His mind was changing day by day and he finally started to see Dorian much more as a human than a machine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anger management

**Author's Note:**

> I'll just post this already before I read it again for the 1939282 time because I'm that perfectionist. I hope you guys like it. Protective John is my favorite. :)

It is supposed to be just an investigation like any other, but it turned out to be way more serious than that, much more _personal_. John should have predicted it, anyway, since he knew how sometimes people didn’t react so positively towards the fact that synthetics worked for the force. Even it not being something that happened yesterday, it was still hard for some humans to accept and get used to it. Close minded people, John thought, feeling a bit ashamed, since he had been like that until he met Dorian and everything took an unexpected turn. His mind was changing day by day and he finally started to see Dorian much more as a human than a machine.

So, it all starts when they are at this dark alley to approach some random guy on the streets. He looks sideways at Dorian when they walk towards him, but he doesn’t run away, though, which is a good sign.

“I’m detective Kennex”, John says, showing off his badge. “This is my partner Dorian”, he adds, and Dorian stands there by his side while the guy still stares at him.

“You got a problem?” John quickly asks, looking from the man and then at Dorian to check if he is okay. The man quickly shakes his head ‘no’.

“We’d like you to answer some questions”, John continues then.

“To _you_ , pal, no problem”, the man says, making sure to stress the words he decides to use. The way he keeps staring at Dorian makes John’s stomach twist and he feels like he might just punch the guy right there. Even with that thought in mind, he tries to stay calm as much as possible. John shakes his head and closes his eyes, passing one hand on his face. He feels sick, all of a sudden.

“John, are you alright?” Dorian asks him, worried, but before John can answer, they both hear a sarcastic laugh and their attention is back to the man in front of them.

“I’ve already asked this, and I’m starting to lose my patience here”, John is the one to talk again, his voice hoarser than usual. “You got a problem?”

“I don’t know, man, I think _you_ ’ve got a problem”, the guy says, rubbing his chin while looking from John and then back at Dorian, who tilts his head to the side, not understanding. “How can you be so sure to trust this—“, the man starts explaining, moving his hands in the air, searching for a term to use as if Dorian is some sort of “thing”, and John decides he has had enough with it. He pushes the jerk against the wall, holding him tight by his jacket. When John speaks again, his voice is threatening, and he looks like he could kill with just his eyes.

“Listen to me, _pal”,_ John makes sure to sound sarcastic, ignoring Dorian’s attempts to talk him out of it. It is too late. Some people seem to like to push him to the edge, John thinks, and he is so close to tearing this guy’s skin off it is not even funny. “I’m a police officer. He is a police officer. So you better show some respect.”

At this point John thinks they are done with it, but, instead of looking afraid, the asshole just starts smiling presumptuously at his face, looking at Dorian again in disgust.

“I see cops like you get very attached to your pets”, he says though crocked teeth. John thinks about going for his gun, but decides not to. Instead he makes sure that this time he hits the guy’s back harder against the wall. He makes sure for it _hurt_ as much as the hurt he’s seen so many times in Dorian’s eyes when the DRN thought he was not important. John closes his right hand in a tight fist, feeling himself sweat, anger rushing through his veins.

“He is not my pet!” John yells and punches the asshole right on the nose.

“John”, Dorian says, trying to stay calm. He rests a hand on John’s shoulder, feeling the detective shaking under his palm.

“He is not my pet, he is _my partner_ ”, John keeps talking as if he doesn’t hear Dorian. “You better apologize if you don’t want me to break your teeth too.”

There is a moment of complete silence while Dorian lets go of John’s shoulder, and John keeps holding the guy up, controlling himself not to hit him as many times as he wants.

“Okay, okay, fine”, the man says, scared now, blood running from his nose. He throws his arms up in surrender and adds “I apologize.”

“Wise decision”, John says, dropping his hands, letting the man fall like a dead weight. He turns towards Dorian.

“Let’s go”, he says, and Dorian follows him to the car.

Once they are inside the car, and Dorian closes the passenger’s door, he turns his head to look at John.

“Are you okay?”

John is quiet for a long moment. He has his hands around the steering wheel and his eyes closed. He frowns at the sound of Dorian’s concerned voice, his head hurting a bit, but he eventually looks back at his partner.

“I’m fine”, he says. “How are _you_?”

“I’m good”, Dorian answers, not sure if he should talk about what he just witnessed. He knows by now that John likes him, but this time it was somehow different, because it was _care_. John seemed completely fine with the idea of kicking anyone’s ass if they didn’t treat Dorian the way he deserved. And the truth is the DRN never had this kind of protection before, he had never felt so safe with anyone else like he feels when he has John by his side.

“John, are you sure we should go?” Dorian eventually asks. “Leave an investigation like that.”

“Don’t ask me to go back there”, John says, ending the discussion before it even starts. “I’m not going to just stand there again and listen to that moron.”

Dorian smiles and he is sure John can feel that he is staring but the detective choses to start the car and avoid eye contact, focusing on the road instead.

“You didn’t let him. You stood up for me, man”, Dorian disagrees, still looking at John who keeps a serious face, frowning like always, still pissed with what happened. “Thank you”, Dorian adds, feeling like he doesn’t say the words enough.

John looks at him after a while, just for a few seconds before looking back ahead.

“Yeah, yeah”, he says impatiently, “but don’t ask me to explain myself for it.”

Dorian simply nods, looking away, watching the world through the car window. He can’t help but smile again, with only one thought inside his mind. He knows exactly why he learnt to like this world even more this time, since the moment John woke him up.

“You don’t have to”, he says, watching John’s reflection. “I already know.”

He can see John’s expression soften and a small smile form in his lips. He doesn’t say anything, and Dorian decides he is actually fine with it. He knows John too well by now for the silence to bother him, because his actions are easy to read and, in the end, that’s all that matters to the DRN. He knows that it is through their acts that humans show how they feel in the most honest way.


End file.
